Hood catch



R. G. MOORE .Ian. 30, 1934.

HOOD CATCH Filed Dec. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. P Y/ IO/VD 61 /'700/?5 A TTORNEY- R. G. MOORE Jan. 30, 1934.

HOOD CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18

INVENTOR. fan Mow) G. M0012: BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES HOOD CATCH Raymond G. Moore, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 18, 1931 Serial No. 581,805

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hood catches, and has for an object to provide a device of this character in which a single operating handle is provided exteriorly of the hood for actuating catch means interiorly of the hood, and which engage keeper means at a plurality of spaced points interiorly of the hood. It is particularly proposed to provide an improved operating means between the operating handle, which rotates upon a horizontal axis parallel to the hood, and the catch means, which will be positive and reliable in its operation of retaining the catch means in operative position and in disengaging it, and which may be manually operated with great facility. It is further proposed to provide such operating means in which the major travel between the engaging and disengaging position will be relatively rapid, requiring little effort, and to this end I propose to provide means 20 by which there is a differential movement between the operating handle and the parts moved thereby. A still further object is to provide a hood catch which will effectually hold the hood down wardly and inwardly.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the hood and frame, and showing the catch in plan, the same being in its operative position.

Fig. 2 is an interior elevation in operative position.

' Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken-along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the inoperative or released position.

Fig.5 is a detail perspective view showing the means for assembling the rock lever employed.

' Fig. 6 is a horizontalsectional view, through the hood and frame, and showing a modified form of the invention, the catch being shown in plan and in its operative position.

- Fig. 7 is an interior elevation in operative position.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing the inoperative or released position.

' Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, the automobile hood 10 is adapted to close in the usual manner against the lacings 11 and 12 of the radiator frame 13 and cowl portion 14 of the chassis.

Upon the inner face of the hood, and preferably at a central point between the hood ends, there is riveted, or otherwise suitably secured, a bracket plate 15 having an elongated vertical slot 16 registering with a slot 17 in the hood, and through which an operating handle and cam member, presently to be more fully described is extended.

At the upper portion of the plate and'at each side of the slot 16 side flanges 18-18 are bent at right angles to the plate, the lower portion of the plate being relatively wider than the upper portion and having a pair of spaced bearing portions 19-19 curled therefrom to provide bearings for the rock shaft. The lower portion of the plate is preferably reinforced as by pressed out ribs 20-20. V

The operating handle 21 is disposed exteriorly of the hood and is provided with a cam portion 22 extended through the slots 16 and 17, being pivotally mounted on a fulcrum pin 23 secured in the side flanges 18-18. A cam slot 24 open at one end, is provided in the cam portion 22 of the operating handle and engages the horizontal portion of a U-shaped rock lever 25, having its ends bent outwardly and journaled in openings 2626 in the side flanges 18-18. The horizontal portion of said lever also has the upper eye portion 27 of. a link member 28 engaged with it, the lower and offset eye portion 29 thereof being connected to the central crank portion 30 of the rock shaft 31. The rock lever may be conveniently assembled by lancing a tongue 26 above the journal openings 26 of one of the side flanges 18, this tongue being bent away from the flange, as shown in Fig. 5, to permit-the lever to bepositioned, without the necessity of bending either the flanges or the lever, and being bent into the plane of the flange when the lever is assembled, where its end forms part of the journal openings' 1 It will be observed in Fig. 3 that in the operative position the upper eye 27 of the link is over the dead center of the pivotal axis of the rock lever, and through the tension of the rock lever, which exerts a downward pull on the link, the parts are yieldably retained in such position. I The rock shaft 31 which extends longitudinally, along the interior of the hood at each side'of' the central crank portion is journaled near its outer ends in bearing brackets 32-32securd point orde'ad center, where it is yieldably held under the tension of the rock shaft, the operupon the hood, and is provided at its outer ends with U-shaped offset crank portions 33 and 34 respectively, the offset of these crank portions being relatively greater than that of the central crank portion and also being angularly offset with respect to said portion 30.

The crank portions 33 and 34 are adapted to engage angular keeper brackets 35 and 36 suitably mounted on the radiator and cowl, or upon any other convenient part of the chassis, in proximity to the hood ends. These brackets are illustrated as formed of sheet metal and their engaging faces, which are preferably disposed at an angle of about 45", are respectively provided; with pressed out rounded ribs 37' and 38 for engagement by the rounded crank ends, this arrangement providing positive firm engagement,v irrespective of variations in the mounting and.

disposition of the parts.

The crank shaft is formed of a suitable spring ferc'ei, be'ng applied near the fulcrum point of the handle, but imparts relatively rapid movement contiguous to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 4, sothat at the point where pressure must be exerted increased leverage is applied and consequently the manual effort necessary tolejxert such pressure is greatly reduced and the catch may be operated with comparative ease.

Theoperation is as follows:

As shown in Fig. 4.- the hood catch is in its inoperative or released position, the crank ends 3 3[and' 34 in this case depending so that they are "clear of the keeper brackets as the hood is closed against the lacings, and the operating handlebeing swung upwardly. As the handle 21 is' swung" downwardly from the position shown inFig. '4 to that shown'in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the rofck' lever 25' is swung" upwardly and through theili'nk connection 28 withtherock shaft crank portion3Q firstbrings the crank ends under and into' iengageinent with the keeper brackets with afrelativel'y rapid movement, whereupon the furth'er lmove'ment under the increased leverage af:

ford'ejd by'the'cam slot springs the ends under tension as'fthe movement of the operatinghandl'e is completed and the transverse central portion of the rock lever 25 passes over the high ating handle also being firmly held thereby against rattling. The dot-and-dash lines,Fig. 3,

.. indicate'the untensioned angular position of the crank ends 33 and 34 with respect to, the crank portion 30' of the rock shaft 31. The catch is releasedby swinging the handle upwardly.

In Figs. 6 to 8 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the bracket plate 15 issomewhat narrower than that of the first embodiment and the side flanges 18 -48 are provided witli cam slots 40-40 having detent pfqitio'ns 41-41 at their lower ends andc'amportions"42-42 at their upper ends sloping in a reverse direction to the cam slots 40-40. The operating handle 21 which is disposed exteriorly of the hood and extends through the slots '17 and '16 offtheho'od' and bracket plate, is pivotally'mounted upon a'fulcrum pin 23 secured at its ends in the flanges le -18 The cam portion 22 thereof is provided with a cam slot 24 which engages a cross pin 43 at the upper end of a bifurcated sheet metal link member 44, the cam portion 22 being disposed between the two sides of this link member, and the cross pin 43 extending into the cam slots 40-40 of the flanges 18 -18 their ends being headed over at the outer sides of said flanges. The lower ends of the two sides of the link member are brought together and are pivotally connected to the central crank portion 30 of the crank shaft 31 In this embodiment the crank shaft is journaled at its central portion in pockets 45-45 formed in the lower portions of the side flanges 13 -13 and is held' in place by a bendable tongue 46 formed in bracket the plate 15 this tongue being bent outwardly from the plate as the rock shaft is assembled into the socket 45-45, and then bent into flush relation to retain it.

The operation is I substantially similar to that of the 'fir stfembodiinent, the link 44 moying in the slots 40-40 however instead of being car: ried'by the rock lever. in the operative posi: tionFigs. 6, 7 and 8, the pin 43I f ovesintd the cam portions 41-41 at the upper ends of the cam slots, where it is yieldably held under the, tension of the rock-shaft 31 thus retaining." the parts in operative position and holding the shoul; der 47 of the handle firinly against the bracket plate 15 to prevent rattling. In the inoperative position, Fig. 8 the cross pin 43 seats in the d e: tent portion 43 whichffrictionally retains the parts in such inoperative position.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of, the, invention, but it will be obviousthat changes maybe made therein Withinthespirit and scope thereof, as defined in the a pended claims.

Having thusdescrroed my invention what I claim and desire to securebyLettersPatent is:-

1. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means undertension with av keeper element, an operating handle pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis, a, movable member adapted to bemoved, by saidhandle and-tomove said catch means into and out of operative position and guide means separatefrorn said handle adapted to guide the movement of said movable member in a path non-eoincidentwith the arc of said handle. a e

2. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch'means under tension with aiplu rality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis, a movable member adapted to be moved by said' handle and to move said catch ineans. into, and outer operative position, and guide, meansgsep; arate from said handle adapted to guide the movement of said movable member in a path non-coincident with thearc of said handle.

3. A hood catch operating mechanism for en;- gaging catch means under tension with a .pluralitylof, spaced keeper, elements, ,an perating handle pivoted to swing about ai h origontal axis, parallel to the hood, cam means adaptedito. be moved by said voperatinghandle and having. a path non c'oincid'ent with the arcof said handle, and meansactuated by said cam means adapted to'move said catch means into' and. out of operative position. V

4. A hood catch, operatinglmechanism for, en; gaging a catch meansl'iunder tension with; ajp rality of, spaced keeper elements, I an, opera mg, handlepivoted to swing about ahorizontal axis,

cam means adapted to be moved by said operating handle and having a path non-coincident with the arc of said handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said cam means and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and means for guiding the movement of said movable member.

5. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a plurality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis, cam means adapted to be moved by said operating handle and having a path non-coincident with the arc of said handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said cam means and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and means for guiding the movement of said movable member, said cam means adapted to impart faster movement at one part of its travel than at another.

6. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a plurality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and guide means separate from said handle adapted to guide the movement of said movable member in a path noncoincident with the arc of said handle, said guide means adapted to yieldably retain said movable member in operative position.

7. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging rock-shaft catch means under tension with a plurality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle pivoted to swing about a horizontal axis parallel to the hood, cam means adapted to be moved by said operating handle and having a path non-coincident with the arc of said handle, and means actuated by said cam means adapted to rotate said rock shaft catch means into and out of operative position.

8. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging rock-shaft catch means under tension with a plurality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle, cam means adapted to be moved by said operating handle and having a path non-coincident with the arc of said handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said cam means and to move said rock-shaft catch means into and out of operative position, and

means for guiding the movement of said movable member.

9. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a keeper element, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and cam means separate from said handie for guiding the movement of said movable member.

10. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a plurality of spaced keeper elements, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and cam means separate from said handle for guiding the movement of said movable member.

11. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a keeper element, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and cam means separate from said handle for guiding the movement of said movable mem- 1G0 her, and adapted to yieldably retain said movable member under tension in operative position.

12. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a keeper element, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, and cam means separate from said handle for guiding the movement of said movable member, and including cam means adapted to yieldably retain said movable member under tension in operative position.

13. A hood catch operating mechanism for engaging catch means under tension with a keeper element, an operating handle, a movable member adapted to be moved by said handle and to move said catch means into and out of operative position, cam means separate from said handle for guiding the movement of said movable member and means adapted to yieldably retain said movable member under tension in operative position, and said movable member adapted to yieldably retain said handle in relation to the hood.

RAYMOND G. MOORE. 

